Folk in Different Languages
Discover 'Folk' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'folk' holds a rich significance, denoting people, culture, and traditions. It is a term that transcends borders and languages, bringing people together under the umbrella of shared customs and heritage. From the lively tunes of Scandinavian folk music to the vibrant patterns of African folk art, the word 'folk' is a testament to the cultural diversity and unity of humanity.
Moreover, understanding the translations of 'folk' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the unique perspectives and cultural nuances of various societies. For instance, in Spanish, 'folk' translates to 'gente' or 'pueblo', while in German, it is 'Volk'. These translations not only convey the literal meaning of the word but also reflect the cultural context and historical significance of the term in each language.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural anthropologist, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of diversity, exploring the translations of 'folk' in different languages can be a fascinating journey of discovery. Here are some translations to get you started:
Folk
Folk in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | mense | ||
| The word "mense" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "mensch," which means "human" or "person." | |||
| Amharic | ሰዎች | ||
| The word ሰዎች (sewoch) can also refer to a person's family or relatives | |||
| Hausa | mutane | ||
| The word 'mutane' (folk) in Hausa shares the same root as 'mutuwa' (to die), implying a connection between community and mortality. | |||
| Igbo | ndị mmadụ | ||
| In Igbo, | |||
| Malagasy | people | ||
| In Malagasy, "vahoaka" translates to "people" but originates from the word for "group of people with the same ancestor." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | anthu | ||
| "Anthu" also refers to "ancestors" and has a root word "anthu," which means "a person." | |||
| Shona | vanhu | ||
| The word 'vanhu' in Shona can also refer to 'humans' in general, or a 'group of people' in a more specific sense. | |||
| Somali | dadka | ||
| Dadka is derived from the Arabic word 'dahaka' meaning 'to laugh' or 'to joke'. | |||
| Sesotho | batho | ||
| The word "batho" in Sesotho also means "people" or "group of people". | |||
| Swahili | watu | ||
| "Watu" also means "people" or "community" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | abantu | ||
| The word 'abantu' in Xhosa can also refer to 'people' or 'humans' in general, and is derived from the Proto-Bantu root '-ntu'. | |||
| Yoruba | eniyan | ||
| The word 'eniyan' comes from the Yoruba words 'eni' (person) and 'yan' (group), emphasizing the collective nature of people. | |||
| Zulu | abantu | ||
| The word 'abantu' does not merely mean 'ordinary people', but includes the divine, ancestors and spirits, and is related to the concept of 'Ubuntu', a deep sense of humanity and community. | |||
| Bambara | mɔgɔw | ||
| Ewe | folk | ||
| Kinyarwanda | rubanda | ||
| Lingala | bato ya mboka | ||
| Luganda | abantu | ||
| Sepedi | batho ba batho | ||
| Twi (Akan) | folk | ||
Folk in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | اشخاص | ||
| The word "اشخاص" (folk) originates from the Proto-Semitic root "*prš" meaning "to separate, divide, or cut off". | |||
| Hebrew | אֲנָשִׁים | ||
| The word "אֲנָשִׁים" can also refer to "servants" or "employees", deriving from the root "א-נ-ש" ("to serve"). | |||
| Pashto | خلک | ||
| Arabic | اشخاص | ||
| The word "اشخاص" (folk) originates from the Proto-Semitic root "*prš" meaning "to separate, divide, or cut off". | |||
Folk in Western European Languages
| Albanian | njerëzit | ||
| The word "njerëzit" in Albanian can also mean "the people" or "the humans". | |||
| Basque | jendea | ||
| The Basque word "jendea" also means "the people", "the public", "the common people", and "the common folk". | |||
| Catalan | gent | ||
| The word 'gent' in Catalan derives from the Latin word 'gens', which can also mean 'nation' or 'people'. | |||
| Croatian | narod | ||
| The word 'narod' has the same root as the English word 'nation' and the Latin word 'natio' (meaning 'birth') | |||
| Danish | mennesker | ||
| In addition, "mennesker" sometimes refers to men, but not women, in opposition to animals "(fæ) | |||
| Dutch | mensen | ||
| The word "mensen" is derived from the Old Dutch word "meniskja" or "meniska", meaning "human being" or "person" | |||
| English | folk | ||
| The term "folk" derives from the Old English word "folc," meaning "people" or "nation," and is related to the German word "Volk" and the Dutch word "volk," all of which have similar meanings. | |||
| French | personnes | ||
| The French word "personnes" can also refer to "people" or "individuals" in a more general sense. | |||
| Frisian | folk | ||
| In Frisian, "folk" can also refer to "people" or "nation" and is related to the Old English word "folc" and the German word "Volk."} | |||
| Galician | xente | ||
| The Galician word "xente" derives from Latin "gens," referring to all who belong to a nation or group. | |||
| German | menschen | ||
| The German word "Menschen" originally meant "humans" but gradually expanded to include all living beings. | |||
| Icelandic | fólk | ||
| "Fólk" in Icelandic can refer to both humans and mythological beings, a meaning it shares with the related terms "folk" in English and "Volk" in German. | |||
| Irish | daoine | ||
| Although 'daoine' translates to 'folk', its plural form derives from the word for 'person' or 'human' ('duine'), which itself is derived from the Proto-Celtic word 'dunos' meaning 'lord' or 'master'. | |||
| Italian | persone | ||
| The Italian word "persone" derives from the Etruscan word "phersu" meaning "mask" and was adopted with the same meaning into Latin. | |||
| Luxembourgish | leit | ||
| The word "Leit" can also refer to a group of people with shared interests or characteristics, or to the general public. | |||
| Maltese | nies | ||
| The word 'nies' can also refer to a particular nation or group of people, or to the people of a particular place or region. | |||
| Norwegian | mennesker | ||
| "Menneske" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*men-," meaning "to think" or "to have a mind." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pessoas | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "pessoas" has a double meaning: "folk" and "people". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dhaoine | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "dhaoine" derives from the Old Irish word "duine" meaning "person" or "human being". | |||
| Spanish | personas | ||
| The word "personas" in Spanish comes from the Latin word "persona," which means "mask" or "character." | |||
| Swedish | folk | ||
| In Swedish, the word "folk" can also refer to a particular people or nation, or to a group of people who share common interests or characteristics. | |||
| Welsh | bobl | ||
| The Welsh word "bobl" also shares the same root with the word for "people" (pobl) | |||
Folk in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | людзей | ||
| In some contexts, "людзей" can also mean "people" or "human beings". | |||
| Bosnian | ljudi | ||
| The word 'ljudi' can also refer to people who are close or familiar, such as 'my people' or 'our people'. | |||
| Bulgarian | хора | ||
| The word "хора" also means "village square" or "gathering place" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | lidé | ||
| Czech word "lidé" derives from the Old Church Slavonic, meaning "multitude" or "crowd" | |||
| Estonian | inimesed | ||
| Inimesed is the plural form of inimene in Estonian, which derives from the Proto-Uralic word *inime "person, human being" | |||
| Finnish | ihmiset | ||
| The word "ihmiset" is derived from the Proto-Finnic "*ihmisē-," meaning "person" or "human being." | |||
| Hungarian | emberek | ||
| Emberek's second meaning in Hungarian is 'people', which is derived from the Old Hungarian word ember ('man'). | |||
| Latvian | cilvēki | ||
| The Latvian word "cilvēki" is cognate with the Proto-Indo-European root "*ḱlew-/*ḱel- ("hear"), suggesting a connection between "folk" and "listening" or "understanding". | |||
| Lithuanian | žmonių | ||
| The word "žmonių" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂éǵʰ-om" meaning "earth-dweller, person". | |||
| Macedonian | луѓе | ||
| The word "луѓе" can also mean "people" or "nation" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | ludzie | ||
| The word "ludzie" in Polish comes from the Proto-Slavic word *ljudьje, which meant "people" and also referred to a "social class" or "community". | |||
| Romanian | oameni | ||
| The Romanian word "oameni" can also refer to people, or mankind in general, and comes from the Latin word "homo." | |||
| Russian | люди | ||
| The word “люди” comes from the Proto-Slavic word люди ("ljudь"), which originally meant “people of the house” or “family”. | |||
| Serbian | људи | ||
| The word "ljudi" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*l'udьje", which meant "people" or "community". | |||
| Slovak | ľudí | ||
| The Slovak word "ľudí" (folk) is cognate with the Russian "люди" (people), and with the Czech "lidé", and originally referred to a group of people united by common traditions, customs, and beliefs. | |||
| Slovenian | ljudi | ||
| The word ljudij also means "people" in the sense of people who live in a particular place or area. | |||
| Ukrainian | люди | ||
| Люди (Liudy) is a Slavic word that has meanings ranging from 'people' or 'nation' to 'servitude' or 'serfs', depending on the context. | |||
Folk in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মানুষ | ||
| The word "মানুষ" also means "human being" in Bengali, reflecting the importance of community and belonging in Bengali society. | |||
| Gujarati | લોકો | ||
| The word 'loko' has multiple meanings in Gujarati, including 'people', 'community', 'nation', and 'caste'. | |||
| Hindi | लोग | ||
| The word 'लोग' ('folk', in Hindi) is an ancient one, with roots in the Indo-European languages. | |||
| Kannada | ಜನರು | ||
| "ಜನರು" refers to a collection of people who share a common belief or behaviour, and can also mean "race" or "tribe". | |||
| Malayalam | ആളുകൾ | ||
| Marathi | लोक | ||
| The word "लोक" (lok) in Marathi can also refer to "people", "community", or "world". | |||
| Nepali | मान्छे | ||
| In Sanskrit, "मान्छे" means "human being". | |||
| Punjabi | ਲੋਕ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මිනිසුන් | ||
| Tamil | மக்கள் | ||
| The Tamil word "மக்கள்" (makkal) originally referred to the common people or peasantry, but has since expanded to encompass all people or mankind. | |||
| Telugu | ప్రజలు | ||
| "ప్రజలు" (prajalu) is derived from Sanskrit "praja", meaning offspring or progeny. | |||
| Urdu | لوگ | ||
| The Urdu word "لوگ" (lōg) also refers to a group of people with common interests or objectives. | |||
Folk in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 人 | ||
| The character "人" also means "person" and is used as a radical in many Chinese characters. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 人 | ||
| The character "人" can also mean "person" or "human being" and is often used as a classifier for people or groups of people. | |||
| Japanese | 人 | ||
| In Japanese calligraphy, 人 can also mean "humanity". | |||
| Korean | 사람들 | ||
| In Korean, the word for "folk" can also refer to people or individuals. | |||
| Mongolian | хүмүүс | ||
| The word "хүмүүс" can also mean "people" or "nation". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လူ | ||
| The word "လူ" can also mean "person" or "human being" in Myanmar (Burmese). | |||
Folk in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | orang-orang | ||
| In Indonesian, "orang-orang" also means "people" and is used as a plural form of "orang" (person). | |||
| Javanese | wong | ||
| The word 'wong' in Javanese also refers to humans in general, or to a specific person in a particular context. | |||
| Khmer | ប្រជាជន | ||
| "ប្រជាជន" can also mean people, public, citizen, civilians, population, common people, electorate, and layman. | |||
| Lao | ຄົນ | ||
| In Lao, "ຄົນ" ("folk") can also refer to "people," "persons," or even "humanity" in a general sense. | |||
| Malay | orang | ||
| The word "orang" can also refer to a person or a group of people, and is often used in a respectful or affectionate way. | |||
| Thai | คน | ||
| The word "คน" in Thai can also refer to a "person" or a "human being." | |||
| Vietnamese | mọi người | ||
| The word "Mọi người" also means "everyone" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bayan | ||
Folk in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | xalq | ||
| The word "Xalq" in Azerbaijani can also refer to "people" or "nation" depending on its usage. | |||
| Kazakh | адамдар | ||
| "Адамдар" can also mean "people" or "citizens", and in some contexts it can refer to a specific group of people, such as a community or a nation. | |||
| Kyrgyz | адамдар | ||
| "Адамдар" also translates to "people" and the plural form of "person". | |||
| Tajik | мардум | ||
| The Tajik word "мардум" (folk) may originate from Persian "mardi" (man) or Avestan "mahrka" (mortal). | |||
| Turkmen | halk | ||
| Uzbek | odamlar | ||
| The word "odamlar" in Uzbek is derived from the Persian word "adamlar", meaning "people". It is also used to refer to a specific group of people, such as a tribe or community. | |||
| Uyghur | خەلق | ||
Folk in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kanaka | ||
| The word 'kanaka' has multiple meanings in Hawaiian, including 'commoner', 'native Hawaiian', and 'worker'. | |||
| Maori | tangata | ||
| The word 'tangata' in Maori also refers to a person, a human being. | |||
| Samoan | tagata | ||
| "Tagata" also refers to any person, whether a man, woman, or child. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mga tao | ||
| "Mga tao" is derived from the Sanskrit word "jana," which translates to "people, tribe, community," and ultimately to "birth," "race," and "family." | |||
Folk in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jaqinaka | ||
| Guarani | tavayguakuéra | ||
Folk in International Languages
| Esperanto | homoj | ||
| The word "homoj" can also refer to a group of people with shared interests or characteristics. | |||
| Latin | populus | ||
| The Latin word "populus" has alternate meanings of "poplar tree" and "nation". | |||
Folk in Others Languages
| Greek | ανθρωποι | ||
| The word 'Ανθρωποι' ('folk') is derived from the Ancient Greek word 'άνθρωπος' (anthropos) meaning 'human being', and has also been used historically to refer to the male sex specifically. | |||
| Hmong | neeg | ||
| The Hmong word "neeg" can also refer to a single person, a group of people, or a tribe. | |||
| Kurdish | gel | ||
| The word "gel" in Kurdish also means "heart" or "self". | |||
| Turkish | insanlar | ||
| The Turkish word 'insanlar' also has meanings of 'human beings' and 'persons'. | |||
| Xhosa | abantu | ||
| The word 'abantu' in Xhosa can also refer to 'people' or 'humans' in general, and is derived from the Proto-Bantu root '-ntu'. | |||
| Yiddish | מענטשן | ||
| The word מענטשן also has the connotation of 'human beings,' hence the expression 'a mentsh' for a decent, honorable person. | |||
| Zulu | abantu | ||
| The word 'abantu' does not merely mean 'ordinary people', but includes the divine, ancestors and spirits, and is related to the concept of 'Ubuntu', a deep sense of humanity and community. | |||
| Assamese | লোক | ||
| Aymara | jaqinaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | लोक के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ފޯކް | ||
| Dogri | लोक | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bayan | ||
| Guarani | tavayguakuéra | ||
| Ilocano | folk | ||
| Krio | pipul dɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | فۆلکلۆر | ||
| Maithili | लोक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯣꯜꯀ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | folk a ni | ||
| Oromo | folk | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଲୋକ | ||
| Quechua | runakuna | ||
| Sanskrit | लोक | ||
| Tatar | халык | ||
| Tigrinya | ህዝባዊ | ||
| Tsonga | vanhu | ||